Question

Your teacher has asked you to make a model of the interior of the Earth. In your model, how do the thicknesses of the lithosphere and crust compare?

A. The lithosphere is thinner than the crust.
B. The lithosphere is exactly the same thickness as the crust.
C. The lithosphere is thicker than the crust.
D. The lithosphere is thicker than the oceanic crust, but thinner than the continental crust.

Answer 1

In a model of the Earth's interior, the lithosphere is thicker than the crust because it encompasses the entirety of the crust and the uppermost portion of the mantle, amounting to about 100 kilometers thick.

Step-by-step explanation:

When making a model of the Earth's interior, you'll find that the lithosphere is thicker than the crust. The crust, Earth's outer surface, averages about 35 kilometers thick on land and 5-6 kilometers under the oceans. In contrast, the lithosphere, which includes the crust and the uppermost mantle, is approximately 100 kilometers thick. It's essential to understand that the lithosphere is a mechanical layer known for its brittle and rigid properties, and therefore includes both the crust above and part of the mantle below. So in your model, the lithosphere would encase the entire crust, extending deeper into the Earth.